The use of antibiotics in humans has increased 39% from 2000 to 2015, according to a new report. The finding raises concerns about the growing threat of antibiotic resistance — where infections no longer respond to the drugs used to treat them, in part because antibiotics are overused in both humans and animals.

Economists estimate that if nothing changes, up to 10 million deaths globally could be attributed to antibiotic resistance by 2050. Yet antibiotics remain one of the most powerful classes of drugs to date, and in many cases, they are needed to save lives.

In the new study, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers looked at human consumption of antibiotics in 76 countries over time. There is no global system that tracks antibiotic use, so the report’s estimate is one of the most comprehensive to date.

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